Means for removing fibers from cottonseeds



March 9, 1937. K. B. CUIVIIPSTON 2,072,973

MEANS FOR REMOVING FIBERS FROM COTTONSEEDS Filed April 14, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ker/Iv? 5. Cumpr/on Gum/M March 9, 1937. 3 cu s o 2,072,978

MEANS FOR REMOVING FIBERS FROM COTTONSEEDS Filed April 14, 1953 5 Sh eets-Sheet 2 3 Ker/m7 5. C z/m or/o/x March 9, 1937. K. a. CUMPSTON MEANS FDR REMOVING FIBERS FROM COTTONSEEDS 6 Sheets-Shae; 3

Filed April 14, 1955 March 9, 1937. CUMPSTON 2,072,978

MEANS FOR REMOVING FIBERS FROM COTTONSEEDS Filed ApriL 14, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 March 9, l937 K. B. CUMPSTON MEANS FOR REMOVING FIBERS FROM COTTONSEEDS Filed April 14, 1953 S'Sheets-Shet s ammo/whom Kermit 5. Cumpwfaa Patented Mar. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEANS FOR REMOVING FIBERS FROM COTTONSEEDS Application April 14, 1933, Serial No. 666,080

4 Claims.

This invention is for the removing of fibers from cotton seeds in either a gin or a linter gin. Ordinarily seed cotton is delivered to a roll box and a roll formed therein, whether it is for ordinary ginning or first or second cut ginning. The saws engage the roll and remove some of the lint fibers from the seeds in said roll, but a large portion of the work is done when the seeds are carried against the ribs by the saws and the fibers pulled off and carried between the ribs.

In ordinary cotton gins a soft roll is used and no mechanical means is employed to revolve the roll; while in linter gins it is customary to use a fioat to form a core for the roll and some of these fioats or impellers are mechanically driven. In both instances there is no positive means for presenting the seeds in the roll to the saws in such a manner as to remove the fibers therefrom in effective quantities and without cutting or hulling. It has been found that if friction is placed upon the roll, as by impeller elements passing between the saws inwardly of the saw teeth, the seeds will be cut or hulled which makes their use impossible and little, if any, increase in the fibers had.

Theoretically lint fibers are removed from the seeds at the points of contact between the roll and the saws, but as there is no positive means for retarding the seeds or roll, without injury thereto, the major portion of the fibers are removed when the seeds are in contact with the ribs; said seeds being held or retarded by the ribs and the fibers being pulled therefrom by the saws.

One object of the invention is to increase the ginning or fiber removing at the points of contact of the roll with the saws, thereby greatly increasing the capacity of the gin or linter gin, and without cutting or hulling or frictional drag.

A further object of the invention is to drive the roll at a lower speed than that of the saws and to retard the seeds and present their fibers to the saws in such a manner as to more effectively remove fibers therefrom, prior to the ginning at the ribs, whereby greater quantities of fibers are removed than at the same cycle of operation in an ordinary gin or linter gin.

A particular object of the invention is to increase the effective contact surfaces of the roll and saws, whereby more of the teeth of each saw are engaged with the roll and the removal of fibers is thus increased.

Another object of the invention is to perform double ginning in a single roll box, whereby the work of the regular saws will be reduced and more efiicient fiber removing performed.

A further object of the invention is to mount in the roll box a gang or cylinder of saws having closely spaced teeth for co-acting with the regular ginning saws in said roll box, in such a manner as to remove fibers from the seeds before they are cast against the ribs, thus giving the effect of a double fiber removing when the seeds are fully acted upon by the regular ginning saws, whereby an increased capacity is had and more efficient ginning is carried out.

Another object of the invention is to mount in the roll box a gang of saws which are rotated at a lower rate of speed than the gin saws and which when mounted in a cotton gin have their teeth overlapping and rotating away, from the teeth of the gin saws so that the seeds will be retarded when carried between the two sets of saws and a quantity of fibers removed prior to the usual engagement of the seeds with the ribs. It is also within the scope of the invention to mount the saws in the roll box of a linter so that their teeth will revolve with the teeth of the lint saws, but at a slower rate of speed, whereby the seeds will be retarded, but will be more readily disengaged from the roll box saws, as a lesser quantity of lint is to be removed.

Still another object of the invention is to provide in the roll box of a linter or gin, a plurality of saw cylinders coacting with each other and also with the usual saw cylinder, whereby the seeds are acted upon between the saws of a pair of cylinders, as well as between the said cylinders and the usual ginning saws, thus making for increased capacity and more efficient ginning.

A further object of the invention is to provide in the roll box of a gin or linter a pair of auxiliary saw cylinders revolving in the same direction, whereby the adjacent teeth move in opposite directions for the purpose of removing fibers from seeds therebetween.

Another object of the invention is to provide in the roll box of a cotton gin or linter, a plurality of auxiliary saw cylinders having their teeth entering between the usual ginning saws, and rotating at a slower speed, whereby seeds carried by the auxiliary saw cylinders will be ginned by the usual ginning saws prior to engaging the ribs.

A particular object of the invention is to gin cotton or remove cotton fibers from seeds between the teeth of co-acting saw cylinders by carrying the seeds through the zone of said coacting teeth without carrying them inwardly or below the crotches of the gin saw teeth, thus more efiiciently ginning and preventing cutting or hulling,

2, 1932, Serial No. 584,382.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a partial transverse vertical sectional view of a cotton linter having saws mounted in the roll box thereof in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is a partial end elevation of the same,

Figure 3 isa longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the saws mounted in the roll'box of a huller cotton gin,

Figure 5 is a diagrammatical view showing the relative overlapping of the saw teeth,

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure l and showing another form of the invention,

Figure 7 is a detail of the saw teeth,

I Figure 8 is a partial transverse vertical sectional view of a cotton gin having saws mounted in the roll box thereof in accordance with the invention,

Figure 9 is a partial longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 8, the ribs being omitted and the saw gangs being illustrated in elevation,

Figure 10 is an enlarged detail showing overlapping portions of the two gangs of saws,

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 8, showing the invention applied to a cotton linter, and

Figure 12 is an enlarged detail showing the co-acting parts of the saws illustrated in Figure 11.

This application is filed as a continuation in part of my co-pending application filed January In the drawings the numeral I0 designates the frame of an ordinary cotton linter, II the usual saw cylinder, l2 the shaft thereof and I3 the ribs disposed between the saws. The linter is provided with an elongated roll box l4 having a breast 15. A pair of linting saw cylinders I6 and I"! are mounted in this box on shafts l6 and I1 journaled in the frame It], as is shown in Figure 3.

It will be noted that the saws l6 and [1 are considerably less in diameter than the saws l I, however, these smaller saws have substantially the same teeth as the saws l I, and, therefore, act

to remove fibers from the seed. The best results are had by setting the small saws so that their teeth project between the saws II and relatively to one-half the depth thereof, as is shown in the diagram in Figure 5.

The saws l6 and I! are spaced close enough that seeds carried by one saw will be acted upon by the teeth of the other saw, said saws revolving in the same direction, whereby their adjacent teeth move in opposite directions. The saws l8 and H rotate in an opposite direction from the saws II and at a lower speed. Consequently the saws II will remove fibers from seeds carried by the smaller saws and. these smaller saws will carry the seeds around and act upon them between their adjacent teeth to remove fibers. This gives a dual ginning operation, which is preliminary to the ginning of the seeds when they are brought in contact with the ribs l3 by the saws l I.

The saws l 6 and. I! are not fioats in the usually accepted meaning of this term. A float is driven by the cotton itself, whereas the saws l6 and. I! are mechanically driven much faster than the speed of rotation of the usual float. While it is possible to drive the saws l6 and I! by any suitable means, it is preferable to mount sprockets [8 on the ends of the shafts l6 and H, as is shown in Figures 2 and 3, and to drive these sprockets by an endless chain l9. This assures a positive drive of the small saws in the same direction and at the same speed; however, the invention is not to be limited to the foregoing, as the saws may be mechanically driven, as is found best for the results desired. A pulley 20 is shown on the opposite end of the shaft [6' and this pulley may be suitably driven from any source, preferably from some other part of the linter.

In ginning the usual run of cotton seed with a linter gin, very satisfactory results have been had by running the saws I6 and I 1 at a speed of from 300 to 400 R. P. M., and the saws H at a speed of from 450 to 550 R. P. M. It has been found that where saws are used as set forth herein, the capacity of the linter is greatly increased and the power required is proportionately reduced. The ginning is carried out in steps or stages rather than at one point, which not only distributes the working load but more effectually gins the seeds.

The invention may be applied to an ordinary cotton gin, as is shown in Figure 4, and a detailed description is not considered necessary. When used in a cotton gin, it has been found that the lint is not cut and also choking between the ribs and the large gin saws is reduced to a minimum. More efficient ginning is carried out, the load is reduced, and consequently a saving in power effected.

It sometimes occurs under certain conditions that seeds become jammed in the teeth of the saws of the auxiliary saw cylinders l6 and I1. In order to meet this condition, I have used a structure as illustrated in Figures 6 and '7, wherein a large single saw cylinder 25 is mounted on a shaft 26 in the roll box 27 having the ribs I3 and regular saws II, as in Figure 1. It will be noted that the teeth 28 of the saws are made larger and deeper than the teeth of the saws N. This provides ample crotches at the bottoms of the teeth 28 beyond the teeth of the saws II for receiving the seeds without the same becoming jammed. Thus, when the saws 25 revolve upwardly and away from the saws H the seeds will drop from the crotches, because they are not jammed therein, thereby preventing clogging of the teeth of said saws or crushing the seeds.

It is to be understood that the teeth 28 are still spaced sufilciently close together to co-act with the teeth of the saws II in ginning the seeds. Care must be taken that the teeth are not made too large or spaced too far apart, as in the patent issued to Wooldridge No. 1,512,970, and dated October 28, 1924, because if the teeth are too widely spread or made too large they lose their ginning effect, which is highly desirable. It is also important that the teeth of the auxiliary saws do not project inwardly of the regular saws substantially beyond the crotches of the latter, and preferably not as far as said crotches, because the teeth of the auxiliary saws must not carry the seed in between the saws H and clog the latter.

In Figures 8 to 10, other forms of the invention are shown and the numeral 39 designates the frame of an ordinary gin stand, 3| the roll box,

32 the breast, 33 the huller ribs, and 34 the gin ribs. The usual gang of gin saws 35 spaced by the usual blocks 36 are mounted on the shaft 31. The parts which have been described are of the usual construction and are, of course, subject to variation according to the manufacture and type of gin.

I mount a shaft 38 in bearing boxes 30' at each end of the frame 30 so as to extend longitudinally through the roll box 3 I. On this shaft is mounted a gang of saws 39 spaced apart by blocks 40. The saws 39 are spaced substantially the same distance as the saws 35, but are arranged in staggered relation so as to project between said saws, as is clearly shown in Figure 9.

It will be noted that the saws 39 are less in diameter than the saws 35 and the relative sizes of the teeth are subject to variation. In some instances it has been found that better results are had by making the teeth of the saws 39 coarser than those of the saws 35, but the invention is not to be limited in this manner. By observing Figure 10, it will be seen that the saws 35 and 39 overlap a limited distance and this overlap is preferably substantially the depth of the teeth, but of course this is subject to variation. The saws 39 are of such diameter as to occupy a goodly portion of the roll box 3! but leave sufiicient clearance to revolve the mass of cotton therein.

It will be noted that the teeth of the saws 39 are directed in the same direction as the teeth of the saws 35, and this causes the teeth of the two sets of saws to be directed oppositely at their overlapping portions. In operating the saws, the saws 35 are revolved in a clockwise direction (Figure 8), while the saws 39 are revolved in a counter-clockwise direction. Also, the saws 35 are revolved at a much higher rate of speed than the saws 39. Very satisfactory results have been had in cotton gins where the saws 39 were revolved at'the rate of 110 revolutions per minute and the saws 35 at the rate of 550 revolutions per minute, but it is to be expressly understood that not only the relative rates of speed, but the individual rates of speed of revolution of the saws is subject to variation.

The saws 39 revolving in a counter-clockwise direction will carry the cotton roll around the roll box in the same direction and will bring the lint bearing seeds into contact with the teeth of the saws 35. The teeth of the saws 35 will engage the lint, and revolving at a higher rate of speed, will act to strip the lint from the seeds because said seeds will be retarded by the oppositely directed teeth of the saws 39. But, as the teeth of the saws 39 are relatively moving away from the teeth of the saws 35, the seeds will be dropped by the saws 33 after being carried between the overlapping portions of the saws. The dropped seeds, or the seeds from which lint has been removed, after passing between the two sets of saws, will be carried by the teeth of the saws 35 into contact with the ribs 34 and the ginning completed in the usual manner. From the foregoing it will be seen that the cotton is twice ginned and, therefore, the capacity is increased.

In Figures 11 and 12, I have shown the invention applied to a linter. The saws 39 are mounted in the roll box 3| on a shaft 38' and spaced apart by blocks 43'. It will be noted that the relation of the teeth is reversed to that shown in Figure 10, so that the teeth at the overlapping portions are directed in the same direction and move with each other when the saws are revolved.

It has been found desirable to rotate the saws 39 at about 250 revolutions per minute and to retain the speed of the saws 35 at about 550 revolutions per minute, which is, of course, subject to variation. This change in the speed and also the reversing of the relation of the teeth is due to the fact that the cotton seeds handled in a linter have already been ginned and, therefore, have less and shorter lint therein. The saws 39' are revolved sufficiently slower than the saws 35 to retard the seeds long enough to permit the teeth of the saws 35 to remove lint therefrom before said seeds are carried away from the saws 39. The seeds are, of course, ginned against the ribs in the usual way.

It is to be understood that the shafts 31 and 38, as well as the shaft 38, may be driven by any suitable means and in Figure 9 I have shown a gear 50 mounted on the shaft 38 and a pinion mounted on the shaft 31. By this arrangement the shaft 31 is driven in the usual manner. The diameters of the gear and pinion are such as to give the relative speeds desired.

It is important that certain features of the invention be observed. If the teeth of the auxiliary saws pass inwardly, between the regular saws, beyond the crotches of the last named teeth as in the patent to Wooldridge, herein before referred to, it is obvious that if such auxiliary teeth are spaced sufficiently close together to gin the seeds, then the seeds would be cut. The points of the auxiliary teeth must not pass inwardly substantially beyond the crotches of the teeth of the regular saws. The teeth of auxiliary saws in passing between the teeth of the ginning saws are thus substantially confined to the zone of the teeth of said ginning saws. The teeth of the auxiliary saw must be sufficiently close together and small enough to gin the seeds. These auxiliary teeth are not mere fiber straightening or parting teeth, but are sharp ginning teeth and function exactly as the teeth of the usual ginning saw. Further, the auxiliary delinting saws must be positively driven by some other means than the cotton roll or the ginning saws, and in this respect they differ from floats or straightening saws.

The description which has, been given, recites more or less detail of a particular embodiment of the invention, which is set forth as new and useful, however, I desire it understood that the invention is not limited to such exact details of construction, because it is manifest that changes and modifications may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A cotton lint fiber removing device comprising, a roll box, ribs, ginning saws projecting between said ribs into said box and exposed therein, a plurality of auxiliary ginning saw cylinders mounted in said box and co-acting with the teeth of the ginning saws to remove lint fibers from the seeds prior to ginning at the ribs, the teeth of the auxiliary saws being confined to the zone of the teeth of the ginning saws, and means for driving the auxiliary saws at a slower circumferential speed than the circumferential speed of the ginning saws.

2. In a cotton lint fiber removing device, the combination of a roll box, the ribs of said roll box, ginning saws projecting between said ribs whereby said ginning saws are exposed in said box, auxiliary ginning saws mounted to revolve in said box and having the points of their teeth passing between the teeth of the first-named ginning saws short of the crotches of the latter to gin the seeds prior to the ginning of the same at the ribs, and means for revolving the auxilary saws.

3. In a cotton lint fiber removing device, the combination of a roll box, the ribs of said roll box, ginning saws projecting between said ribs, whereby said gining saws are exposed in said box, auxiliary ginning saws" mounted to revolve in said box having the points of their teeth passing between the teeth of the first-named saws and their crotches short of the points of the lastnamed teeth to prevent seeds clogging in said crotches, and means for revolving the auxiliary 

